Hello my lovely readers I hope your weeks are all going great! Today I'm going to be talking about one of the great loves of my life, Studio Ghibli. If you read my post on Studio Ghibli you'll know why I love it so much. So more specifically I'll be talking about the women of Studio Ghibli movies and why they make such awesome role models. I want to point out that although I prefer Studio Ghibli films to Disney films, I still love Disney and this is not a post saying how Disney has no strong female role models, because that's simply not true.

Hayao Miyaskai, co-founder of Studio Ghibli and director of many of the studio's best films uses many strong women for his lead roles. He disagrees with the idea that women in films are there to be saved and are every bit as capable of being heroes as men are. So I'm going to talk about just a few of the awesome women from Studio Ghibli and some of the reasons why I love them and why they are such great role models.

San from Princess Mononoke

San is a human girl raised by wolves when her parents abandon her in the forest. San fights for the protection of the forest in which she lives. Her deep love of nature is something that already deserves admiration but her determination to succeed despite the odds being stacked against her is what makes her such a great role model for both kids and adults.

Chihiro is one of the lead characters who develops most during a film. She starts off as a kind of whiny kid but after being thrown into a terrible situation where her parents protection is up to her she develops into a strong character. Her ability to change and adapt to let's face it a very bizarre situation is what makes her so likeable as is her unwillingness to give up and abandon the people she loves. She also has a kind heart which can be shown by how she treats No Face and Boh, which makes me like her even more.

Yubaba from Spirited Away

OK so Yubaba is technically the villain of Spirited Away so it may seem odd that she is on this list BUT like most Studio Ghibli characters Yubaba is not one dimensional. Yes she has her terrible qualities but there are some aspects of her character that have to be admired. First of all, she seems to be a great business woman, one look at the bath house and you know she's doing well for herself. She also appears to be a single mother to Boh (no father figure is even seen or mentioned at any rate). Yubaba's ability to succeed and do well on her own is something many women can relate and look up to.

Dola may possibly be my favourite Studio Ghibli female character ever, she's a complete bad ass through and through. When you first see the film you expect her to be the villain and she is not exactly a saint being that she is a pirate and a thief and all but just like Yubaba she has more than one side to her. She is captain of her ship and takes no nonsense from anyone, she doesn't run from a fight and is ferocious. Later on you see her softer, more loving side and that's what I love, she's a complete badass but she also has a kind heart. I think that makes her an amazing role model.

Naussica from Naussica of the Valley of the Wind

Naussica is the Princess of the Valley of the Wind and as her father is dying she is often the one to lead her people. She also has a caring nature which can be seen through her treatment of children and animals. Her love of animals and nature is much like San's and is really admirable. One of the things I love most about Naussica is her mix of being able to be tough and strong and to be gentle and loving. She's a very well balanced character which makes her so likeable and a character to look up to.

So those are just a few of the awesome women from Studio Ghibli and why they make such great role models. I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you like Studio Ghibli films? Who are your favourite characters?